Minutes - Council - 03/13/2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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and Comprehengive Plan. Alena Hunter, 14628 Helium Street NW, Ramsey, read the following prepared statement: "Diverse development allows a citizen to plant roots in a city and gives them the chance to remain in a city they've chosen, through all the stages of their life. Our children will eventually need places to live that they can call their own once they leave the "nest." And they'll need all kinds of services to meet their needs. And as we creep closer to retirement, we'll want a place to call our own that gives us the freedom to enjoy our retirement, without the burden of maintaining a home that might be too large or too difficult to live in. And we'll want services to meet our changing needs. When people plant roots in a city, they're more likely to become active members of that community. And when more people become involved, the community becomes a better place for every citizen. If you simply have one type of housing, or one type of business, or service, you cannot meet the variety of needs of your citizens of all ages. Diverse development also helps keep our property taxes lower by bringing a variety of revenue sources to the City. A person can't simply live on bread and water their entire life, without any other source of nutrition, and expect to live a long healthy life. The same is true for a city. If you limit the source of tax revenue, it eventually proves unhealthy for a city. Both citizens and businesses rely on a variety of services to meet their needs. If they can't find the services they need and want here, they'll look elsewhere, and eventually leave for a community that gives them what they want. When homeowners and businesses leave, you lose tax revenue. And when you lose tax revenue, you have trouble funding the basic services that citizens need. And when you can't fund those basic services, you lose more people and businesses And that's the viscous cycle that makes a city stagnant. Diverse development prevents stagnation. The metropolitan area is growing and changing, and the population is aging. We have the perfect opportunity to meet the needs of this area, as well as the needs of our citizens, and can do it with a mixed use area between Ramsey Boulevard and Armstrong Boulevard, which is known as section 28. We all know that there is opposition all over the city to high density development. We know that residents don't want to have it "in their backyard." But with your signatures, you've committed to provide the housing and services to meet the needs of our changing city. Section 28 is perfectly suited to meet a large portion of the commercial, and industrial and housing needs of this city, without dropping it right in someone's backyard." Ms. Hunter read a portion of a letter dated November 7, 2000, addressed to Metropolitan Council Representative Natalie Haas Steffen indicating Ramsey agreed to make changes to the Comprehensive Plan. She stated those changes established a City ISTS Tracking and Notification System as part of the Comprehensive Plan, identified at least a 100-acre mixed-use area in the vicinity of the proposed NCDA rail station where sufficient high-density residential development is allowed to meet Livable Community negotiated goals, commitment to a density of at least 15 units per acre within the town center area, and to finalize the Comprehensive Plan to be consistent with the Regional Blueprint. Ms. Hunter stated there is no denying the signatures of Anderson, Connolly, Zimmerman, Gamec, and Hendriksen on those letters. She stated there is also no denying they have already made that agreement. Ms. Hunter continued to read her prepared statement as follows: "With your signatures on the November 7th letter to the Met Council you've already committed to that mixed use area, and you need to stand by that commitment. It would be very irresponsible of you not to do so. The Mississippi River crossing needs to happen now. Ramsey has had the City Council/March 13, 2001 Page 22 of 31